subject: Learning When To Use The Spanish Subjunctive [print this page] The subjective is not a tense, but a verb mood. It is used to express subjectivity or uncertainty. In Spanish, the subjunctive form of a verb is used when someone conveys extra information about an action such as how possible it is, whether it is coerced, whether it is desirable or under what conditions it will take place. A few of the most common uses of the Spanish subjunctive are detailed below.
Likelihood of action
When someone expresses an opinion about how likely an action is, the verb referring to the action will be in the subjunctive. If a sentence starts with 'es dudoso' (it is doubtful) or 'es probable' (it is probable), a subjunctive verb will always appear in the following clause.
Influence on action
The subjunctive is used in sentences where someone influences another person to do something. When the action described by the verb is in response to someone's advice, command, or desire, it takes the subjunctive form. If a sentence includes the verb 'decir' (to tell someone to do something), the verb that describes what they were told to do will be in the subjunctive.
Emotion
When a person expresses an emotional response to an action, the action verb will be subjunctive. If a sentence starts off with a phrase such as 'es bueno que' (it is good that) or 'es terrible' (it is terrible), the speaker is making a value judgement so the verb in the clause that follows will be in the subjunctive form.
Conditional Events
If an action will only occur if something else happens first, it is conditional and the verb describing it will be subjunctive. A few Spanish phrases that point toward conditional actions are 'en caso de que' (in case), 'a menos que' (unless) and 'con tal que' (provided that).
The Spanish subjunctive is used in most circumstances where the speaker is not making an objective statement of fact. If a sentence conveys emotion or uncertainty, it will typically contain a subjunctive verb.
